Aug 29, I772. ADAM WALKER , The " Celestina," in which the catgut
strings are vibrated by circulating, bands of silk, etc.

Sept. 12, 1774 JOSEPH MERLIN. A set of hammers, of the nature of
those used in the kind of harpsichord called pianoforte, arc
introduced [in a perfect harpsichord] in such a manner that either
may be played separately, or both together. . . . BY placing the
foot upon [the pedal] it gradually plays one unison, one degree
lower plays the second unison, and lastly the octave, which
produces the swell of an organ."

Dec. 28, 1774. S GILLESPY. Harpsichord with ,,a peddle and swell,"
by which the top of the instrument is raised and the stops
worked.

July, 17, 1783. JOHN BROADWOOD. Position, of wrest pins and
dampers, also making the "sounding post, that communicates the
sound to a sounding board, of the same thickness and quality as
that on which the bridge is fixed."(p.1379)

March, 11, 1786 G. J. CLIME. Grand Harmonica," with the strings
stretched by weights, and struck by hammers. Strips of glass ranged
in a frame produce sounds also, by means of balls set on wires, or
by coining in contact with wheels rapidly revolved by a
treadle.

Nov 9, 1786. JOHN GEIB. (i) Buff stop for pianos and harpsichords,
screwed under the strings, and (2) grasshopper
action."(p.1571)

Jan. 15, 1787 W. THOMPSON. System of tuning by means of a monochord
with movable bridges.

March 31 1787 JOHN LANDRETH (1) Centring the jack in square piano
with cork. (2) The same, or 9, some woolly substance, manufactured
after the manner of a hat," is introduced in the upright
pianoforte.

July, 25, i787. HUMPHREY WALTON. (1) Pedal for causing. the grand
hammer to strike one, two, or three strings ; the hammers" striking
perpendicular hammers which strike the wires. (2) The touch is
regulated according to the fancy of the player, from the deepest to
the most delicate [by] a regulating touch frame," inserted between
the balance rail and the back rail of the key frame.(p.1596)

Jan. 15, 1781 SAMUEL BURY. "The instrument is a perfect
pianoforte," which, by means of whalebone plectra fixed in a
sliding board, and a slide which throws up the dampers, produces
sounds " exactly similar to the dulcimer and harpsichord."

Aug. 15, 1788. C CLAGGET. (1) Piano called "Teliochordon". Besides
the ordinary ones, two other bridges are placed nearer to the
hammers, but in a just, proportion, according to the musical
division of the string." Metal bars press down the strings by means
of pedals, causing the original bridges to lose their power,
thereby producing a more acute sound as the string is shortened by
the secondary bridges and metal bars. (2) The keys are covered with
glass or enamel, in place of ivory. (3) Another instrument has
tuning forks or single rods of metal, instead of strings, set in
vibration by means of finger keys and action.

April 13, 1790 JOHN HANCOCK. (1) Small pieces of leather between
the strings, to deaden one string to each note, when required by
the player. (2)A black sticker , presses down a palate at the
bottom of pipes," in a case below the pianoforte, admitting wind
from a bellows blown by a pedal. This flute stop can be used
separately or in conjunction with the pianoforte.(p.1743)

Nov. 16, 1790. BALL. Square piano action, with under dampers, and a
screw in each key, for making the touch deeper or more shallow. "
The hammers are fixed by means of screws that press " on the centre
wire.

Feb. 4, 1792. G.GARCIC.A. Position of wrest pins and sounding
board.

April 18, 1792. JOHN GEIB . Combination of clavichord or spinet
with pianoforte, " with two sets of keys to which either of these
three instruments may be joined and played together."

June 6, 1792 JAMES DAVIS. Combined piano and harpsichord. "The
upper row of keys is for the piano forte, and the lower for the
harpsichord."

Oct. 17, 1794 SEBASTIAN ERARD. Two methods for escapement of the
hammer, and an arrangement for striking one, two, or three strings
at pleasure, by a side movement of the damper rail, etc. Harmonic
octave produced by mechanism which pressed on the string exactly in
the centre.(p.2016)

Nov. 8, 1798. WILLIAM SOUTHWELL. New method of applying additional
notes. The frame turns down over the keys, and the "leader" is
fastened to the hammer by a joint of leather. A harp played with
keys is also mentioned in the specification.

Oct. 3, 1799 JOSEPH SMITH. Introduction of metal bracings in place
of wood, " so as to admit the introduction, into the internal part
of the instrument, of a drum, tabor, or tambourine, with sticks or
beaters," as well as a triangle; all being brought into action by
levers and cranks.

Nov. 31, i800. ISAAC HAWKINS. Spiral springs in Place of long bass
strings. The strings are fixed in a perpendicular position, ranging
from three to four feet in height to within a few inches of the
floor. By means of "primary and secondary carriages.. . . . two,
three, or more strings may be stretched at the same time" in
tuning, "and they may be put in tune one with another, by turning
the screws of the secondary carriages." A roller with pins acting
upon levers shortens any strings, at the pleasure of the player, by
pressing on and dividing them into varying lengths. The
"poiatorise" stop is produced by another roller, which, revolving
rapidly, causes projections upon it to strike on the hammers, thus
keeping them continually striking the strings whilst the keys are
held down. Between the hammers and the strings pieces of leather of
varying thickness, are introduced, so as to change the tone
gradually from forte to piano. The key frame is made to turn on
pivots, for economy of space. Besides these improvements a volli
subito is introduced, which, by the use, of the pedal, turn. over
the leaves of the music book when required. (p.2446)

May 16, 1801. SEBASTIAN ERARD. The touch rendered either hard or
soft to any degree, at the election of the player."(p.2052)

June 5, 1801 EGERTON SMITH and THOMAS TODD. Tuning by means of
screw and lever, or by a wheel axle, and pulley ; which allow of "
any number of being drawn up by one weight over a wheel or
axle."

Nov. 7, 1801 JOLIN CONRAD BECKER. Half and quarter tones, produced
by causing the wrest pins to move partly round their centres,
thereby altering the tension of the string as may be
required.

March 9, 1802 .Thomas Loud . Upright pianos rendered portable by
placing the strings in an obique direction, " fixing the first bass
strings from the left hand upper corner to near the right. hand
lower corner, and the rest of the strings in a parallel direction.
By this means an instrument standing only five feet high and four
feet wide in front will admit of the bass strings being their full
length, which is five feet two inches,"(p.2591)

March 24, 1802. PETER LITHLRLAND. " Helical, Spiral, or straight
springs, for keeping the strings to their tension " and the piano
in tune.

June 28, 1803. GEOIIGE WOODS. Strings attached to pulleys, beams,
etc,, so that the whole may be raised or lowered in pitch at
once.

July 25, 1 1808 WILLIAM HAWKES. "Two sets of strings of two unisons
to each ,;et." The action being, shifted by pedal so as to strike
each set, produces g, seven diatonic and five flat tones to our
present scale of twelve fixed tones."

Sep 24, 1808. SEBASTIAN ERARD. Repetition action, which 'I affords
the power of giving repeated strokes, without missing or failure,
by very small angular motions of the key itself."

July 26, 1809. DAVID LOESCHMAN. 11 By means of six pedals that
cause the hammers to act upon twenty four distinct sets of
strings," performers can " play in thirty three perfect
keys!'

May 2, 1810. SEBASTIAN ERARD. The tuning pins inserted in a collar
and socket for ease and smoothness in motion.

March 4,1811 WILLIAM SOUTHWELL. Piano sloping backwards, with
improved action and damper wire.(p/3403)

March 4, 1811. J TROTTER. New keyboard arrangement.

March 26, 1811. ROBERT WORNUM. Improved upright pianoforte," with
diagonal strings. Buff stop for stopping one string of each note is
worked by a pedal. (p.3419)

Apri1 24, 1811 William BUNDY. Bass pianoforte strings covered with
platina or other metal to produce powerful sounds by
vibration.

Dec.9, 1813 JOHN BATEMAN. "The Grand Claviler." The strings may be
struck at or near the middle . . . in a similar manner to that of
the finger upon the strings of a harp, by playing upon keys."

May 14, i8i6. WILLIAIM, SIMMONS. Barrel piano or harpsichord.

Oct. 14, 1816. JOSEPH KIRKMAN. Two strings in unison and one with
separate bridges tuned to the octave above, are struck by one
hammer, forming an octave stop."

Nov. 14, 1816. JOHN DAY. Frame of musical glasses played
separately, or in combination with the piano, by finger keys and
action.

Feb. 1, 1817. ISAAC MOTT. "The Sostinente piano forte" produces a
sustaining tone through the strings being vibrated by a revolving
roller, by means of silken lines attached to them. A movable bridge
presses against the centre of the strings, and produces the effect
by dividing them into two equal harmonic octave lengths.

Jan. 15, 1820 JAMES THOM and WILLIAM ALLEN. metallic tubular
bracing to counteract the tendency of pianofortes to get out of
tune from the swelling and contracting of the wood caused by
atmospheric changes.

May 13, 1820 ROBERT WORNUM. One size wire used for stringing tenor
and treble. The length of the first note is determined on the
monochord, " and for all the 'corresponding notes upwards you must
halve the several notes, and so on for as many octaves as you
require, always halving for the last octave." This is intended to
produce equal tension throughout the instrument.

March 8,1821. WILLIAM FREDERICK COLLARD. "The bridge of
reverberation" is a third bridge below the two others to allow that
part of the strings which is generally listed, or damped, to
sympathise and vibrate in unison with the lengths between the
ordinary bridges.

April 5, 1821. WILLIAM SOUTHWELL. Check action applied to cabinet
pianos, to prevent the hammer rebounding, against the
strings!'(p.4546)

July 27, 1836. CHARLES WIIEATSTONE. Continuous sounds produced from
pianoforte strings or springs, by means of currents of air which
pass through apertures slightly wider than the body the air
vibrates.

Dec. 1, 1856. J. C. HADDON. Metal framing, "and loading the bass
strings with buttons, . . . placed upon them so as to obtain deep
notes" with short lengths of strings. The strings are galvanized or
tinned "to preserve them from oxidation."

Feb. 26, 1857 WILLIAM MILLS. Escapement upon the upper part of the
sticker.

April 9, 1857.T, ROLFE. Vulcanized or plain India rubber, in place
of wire, for a " check."

May 11, 1857.S. HALLETT. Strings are arranged concentric with the
sound boards. One, two, four, six, or eight keys " may be applied
to the same instrument.

May 13, 1857. H TOLKIEN and J. MIDDLETON Hard wedge or wedges,"
inserted in the bracings for strength.

May 14, 1857. G. CRAWFORD. Upper bridge entirely, of glass. The
sounding board has a double bridge, indented with bone or ivory
instead of pins.

Oct, 4, 1859. G. GREINER. (1) Appliance for tuning two strings at
the same time. (2) Pedallier with leather covered plectora for
pulling the strings.

Nov. 30, i859. F. MATHUSEK (New York). Sounding board, strings,
etc., are arranged so as to make them somewhat similar in action to
instruments of the violin class.

Jan 2.1860. DR. HURLIMANN (Zurich). Light wooden frame. . . .Metal
bars, . . . placed between the sounding board and the strings, . .
. extend in the same direction, . . . and are fastened to the wrest
plank near the piano pins, and below on the iron plate on which the
strings are fixed."

Aug. 27, 1860. J. P. PIRSSON (U.S.). The "Trylodcon," a combination
of the piano and harmonium.

Sept. 25, 1860. CARL KIND. Repetition grand action.

Dec. 29, 1860. H. VINER. " One set of keys transmits motion to two
sets of hammers, . . . one to strike up [on the strings in the
grand piano], and the other to strike down " upon a second set of
strings tuned ill unison with, or an octave above or below, the
upper set.

Feb. 2, 1861.W. PRANGLEY. "Rise [in the key] at a point before it
reaches its centre pin."

May 21, 1861. WILLIAM DREAPER. 1' Tie rod is applied to . . the
bars of the sound board in such manner as to draw such bar or bars
into a bent form."

June 20, 1861. J. L. CLEMENT. To overcome the non continuity of
sound, "an arrangement somewhat similar to the bow of a violin,"
acting separately, or simultaneously with the hammers, is added to
the piano.

June 20 1861 J. R. COTTER. Strings pulled by claw shaped plectra in
the middle of their length.

March 23 1866. J. MACINTOSH. Trumpet shaped covering to be placed
over the piano or vocalist, so that the tone may be augmented by
means of compressed air

April 3, 1866. G. HASTLETINE. Pianoforte with four strings to each
note, two of which are struck, by an action above the keys and two
by an action below the kev board

April 5, 1866. B. JOHNSON. Combined piano and harmonum.

April 24. 1866. S. Thompson Octave couplers to pianoforte
keys.

July 10, 1866. J MILLWARD. Combination of Piano, couch, closet, and
bureau with toilet articles. The music stool is constructed to
contain a workbox, a looking glass, a writing desk or table, and a
set of drawers.

1875. Wornum, Robert & Sons, 16, Store Street, Bedford Square,
London. A short Iron Grand Pianoforte (length under 6 feet). Method
of construction invented and patented by A.N. Wornum in 1875.
It has the advantage over the usual German method of
"cross-stringing" in that, whilst the strings are arranged
parallel, and their lengths are not reduced, and it allows the
iron-work in particular and the construction in general to be
simpler, and of less weight. It also does away with the necessity
of widening the front of the case. The action is withdrawn from the
bass side, leaving the keys and "damper action" in position.

March 23, 1877 E. ZACHARIAE. Cellular boxes, within the instrument
to augment the tone.

Oct. 20, 1877. J. M0NINGTON and J. WESTTON Transposing
keyboard.

Nov. 20, 1877 C. PIEPER, Second row of strings and hammers for
producing the octave and fundamental tones simultaneously.

Dec. 29, 1877 H. WITTOX. Improved action.

July 5, 1878 T. HOWLLLS. Portable pianoforte. The strings arc
stretched horizontally along the exterior of a hollow cylinder or
framework; the action operates upon the strings from the interior
of the cylinder.

Nov. 15, 1880. J. KEW. Avoiding any break in the scale or spacing
of the strings in vertical iron fronted

Feb. 8, 1881. A. K. HEBARD. Improved stringing pianofortes.

March 10, 1381. G, GREEN and C. SAVAGE. Improvements in combining
harmonium and other similar reed instruments with pianoforte.

May 19 138. J. GOETGELUCK. Improvements in supports or feet of
glass for insulation.

May 21, 1881. T. J. BRINSMEAD. Improvements in the construction of
the frames and tuning pins of piano ' fortes, dispensing with the
old system of tuning by pins driven into wood and with the
necessity of using any wood in the back and wrest plank. (a) By
employing metal screw tuning pins which are turned with the
greatest facility, increasing or decreasing the tension of the
strings. Improvements Simplification of Improved method of (b)
Constructing the frame which takes the strain of the strings
entirely of metal, ensuring the frame from the action of damp or
extreme heat,

Feb. 16, 1881 CARL CAMIN. Improvements in construction avoiding
"knocking" by a "new treble bridge," a channel being formed between
the sounding board and bridges, open at both ends and gradually
widening towards the shortest string.

Mar. 1, 1883. H. J. HADDMVI. Improvements in pianoforte actions and
in the method of attaching the sounding board.

Oct. 2, 18S3. CECIL COLLARD. Construction of action of upright
pianofortes, so as to reduce the friction of the parts to a
minimum, and so adjusting the actions that they may be completed
without regard to the instruments to which they are to be
applied.

April 29, 1885, MADAME VEV AMEDEE. Substitute for wood by use of
frames of iron, having abutting arches for resisting. tension of
strings; string plate and wrest plank being also of metal.

May 8, 1885. ADAM CRAIG. Action without hopper or spring and
regulating the depth of touch.

May 12, 1885. JOHN BRINSMEAD. (1) Dispensing with wooden bracings
and framing and constructing the metal string frame so as
sufficiently to resist the tension of the strings. (2) Enabling the
sounding board to bellied so as to compensate for inequalities ill
its several parts, and fixing the sounding board to the string
frame, whereby the instrument is completely self contained and can
readily be inserted ill any case.

June 2, 1885. N. BERRY. Metal cases for pianofortes

June 5, 1885. EMIL HOFINGHOFF. Damper on sounding board to diminish
the tone at will.

Nov. 25, 1885. WILLIIAM MARSHALL. Transformation of the pianoforte
into an upright grand "Chordarnia", the performer facing his
audience, while the bass part of the instrument is from 6ft. to
8ft. height

1 Jan. 6, 1886. E BISHOP. Extended sounding board.

Jan. 6, 1886. E BISHOP Arched board bridges for pianofortes.

Jan. 25, 1886. E. A. SYDENHAM. Regulating the touch of pianofortes,
enabling performers, to the touch of the pianofortes on which they
chose on which they practise.